To Freeze or not to Freeze
by Panda91593
Summary: Balthier makes a stupid choice on the Parimina Rift, and he and Penelo end up stuck toghether in an alcove. Will they die from the weather or each other. BalxPen
1. Chapter 1

**LOOK AT THIS!!**

**Hello. I'm back for a bit. Mostly cuz I hadz and idea!! Yay Okay this story is in noooooo relation to my ohter balthier and penelo fan fic so enjoy**

**Sorry for short chapter, I'm burried in school work.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Yada yada yada You've heard it a thousand times. However if I did own the final fantasy men, I would open a host club and become very very very rich**

Shwish! Shwish! Whhhhhhooooowwwwwwwww Whooooo.

The sound of the wind out side of the little alcove roared by violently. It threatened to flatten anything in its path.

"This is all your fault penelo..." Grumbled a very cold and very upset Balthier.

"How is this my fault? You insisted on attacking a monster on the **OTHER SIDE** of the valley while the others went in search for Fafnir!" Penelo screeched in disbelife.

The sky pirate sat there thinking over what the small girl had just said. To his non-amusment, she was completly and totaly right. Down to her last word. However...She had gone with so, this was no all his fault, right? "You did follow me, did u not?"

"I was trying to drag your stupid patootie BACK to the PARTY!"

Crap she was right again! No, no, no! _I have to find some way that this isn't all my fault. I simply have to. _Balthier thought while rubbing his arms toghether to keep warm. As you may have guessed by now they are in the Parimina Rift.

Penelo sat on the other side on the alcove munching on a half frozen carrot she'd stowed away from thier breakfast. Now, while not thinking, she should be as close as possible to balthier to keep warm. However being reluctant as she is in this time of discomfort, she has decided to stay away from him. "Stupid sky pirate. I really don't get what Vaan sees is so great about them. Especialy **YOU**."

"You realize that it is quiet useless to complian now, and you are just waisting what little hot air you have left in your tiny little body?" Balthier questioned while blowing hot air into his hands and rubbing them toghether.

Penelo scowls at her feet and purses her lips toghether. "I really hate you Balthier Bunansa." She mumbled under her breath.

"Don't worry darling, you'll warm up to me eventually."

"Don't get your hopes up playboy."

"Well seeing as your skin is turning a pale gray and pink and you are shivering uncontrolably, I do belive you are going to be in need of heat soon."

Penelo spit in his direction and epicly missed him.

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What do you think? Should I continue? I need feedback! Review K thx bye. Yuf


	2. Chapter 2

Well I got Great reviews, not a whole bunch, but they were nice and they ecouraged me to continue. -clap- Nice going readers

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"Hey! Spitting is disgusting and rude." Balthier hollers while glaing at the little spit wad about three feet from him.

"Stop wasting your breath" Penelo mocked makeing a little mouth with her hand and moving it as she spoke.

Balthier rolled his eyes slightly. _That girl is so annoying, what draws me to her? _Sighing he scooted closer the the blonde girl.

Glaring at Balthier as he got closer, Penelo thought she would be sick. She'd love to be sick on him, then maybe it would keep him away. _I know! I'll draw a line, and if he crosses it, then I hork on him. Hahahahahahaah! Victory! _Grabbing a stick, she drew a line in the dirt about a foot from where Balthier was sitting. "You stay on that side of the line. If you cross it, I'll do something horrible to you!"

"Oh I'm shaking in my armor." Balthier said giving a sarcastic shake.

"I'm serious Bunansa!"

"Ohhhh, I am sure you are. Sooo sure you are, soooo serious. What'cha gonna do, beat on me with those tiny fists of yours, or maybe maul me with that twig?" Balthier mocked pointing at the small stick Penelo used to draw her "border line".

The young girl puffed her cheeks up and turned the other way. Easily put, she was pouting.

"Don't worry 'Penny', I won't cross your 'border line'."

The light became dim in the cave and Balthier gathers sticks and some brush from in the cave to make a small fire. Penelo had stopped pouting and started looking for twigs for the fire.

Penelo dreaded the nightfall. She had been all day. Here it has come now, and it was mocking her. _I'm gonna freeze to death if I don't take Balthier's body heat. No I cna't let him win, but I don't want to die..._

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Short, I know. But I have only small bursts of thoughts so deal with it and don't complain! If you complain I'll stop writing so, HA! Review and tell me if you like it. Continue? k thx bye - Yuf


	3. Chapter 3

Back! Yaya! -clap- Bows yaya Long Chapter yaay!!

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Penelo slowly erased her line in the dirt. Balthier inched closer, taking that the line erasing was a signal for him to move freely. However just before Balthier could do anything or even move he heard Basch's voice yealling out for them.

"Basch! Basch! We're in a cave! Help!" Penelo yelled from the entrance of the cave.

"Keep talking I can hear you!" Basch yelled from somewhere nearby.

Penelo continued to just yell out random things Like "I'm here." and "Here we are." Eventually Basch stumbled into the cave along with Vaan and Fran and Ashe.

"What wer eyou thinking Balthier?" Fran asked in a very accusing tone.

"Welllll, um..." Balthier responded rubbing his head.

Ashe scowled and walked over to Vaan to ask him about the map and the fastest route out of the rift. Penelo walked over to Bash who was bleeding profusely (Spelling?). Basch meerly looked at Penelo in a balk way like he was just staring right through her and at the ground beneath her.

"Basch are you alright?" Penelo asked thinking it was rather stupid.

The soldier never answered but intead he swayed almost like he was drunk and fell on top of Penelo. Penelo struggled to keep him up and called to Vaan to help her.

"What happened?!" Vaan asked while running over to help her and attempting ti sit/lay basch down.

"I don't know what happened, however none of you seemed to notice the great mount of blood seeping through his white shirt and on his pants?" Penelo asked in a very angered tone.

"He did get attacked by a wolf on the way here, but he killed it easily." Fran muttered as she bagan to un-buckel the straps on his red leather vest.

Ashe riffled through her bag to find a potion or something of the healing sort. However she was completly out of everything. Penelo was the only healer out of them all, besides fran but she only knew very low level spells.

"I'm out of everything Penelo could you use your magick?" Ashe asked walking back to where Fran was trying to un-buckel the last few aeras on the vest.

"I might be able to, but it could take a while, I only know Cura. Vaan is he breathing okay?" Penelo asked helping Fran pulls the vest out from under Basch.

"Yeah he seems to be breathing okay, I think he passed out."

Balthier nodded and gave Penelo an ether. "Use it." He said crouching next to her and pulling a piece of rock of Basch's white shirt. "Did he trip at some point? Fall or anything?"

Ashe looked at Vaan who looked at Fran. None of them said anything. "If he did no one noticed." Ashe said finally.

Penelo shook her head and began to chant quiely to cast Cura.

Vaan and Ashe went outside to find some wood or brush of sort to make another fire. Fran went to kill something to eat for the night. Balthier sat next to Penelo giving her ethers while she healed Basch slowly.

"I'm not much use am I?" Penelo asked yawning and then slumping against her arm for support. "I'm so weak, and I exahust easily"

Shaking his head Balthier patted her shoulder. " Your very helpful. We'd have to leave basch here to die until we got back with potions if you couldn't heal."

A russling at the entrance signaled that one of the other party members was comming back. It was not a party member though, but instead it was a wolf. Balthier moved swiftly to his gun as the wolf ran at Penelo. A loud, ear splitting crack was sounded only a foot or two from Penelo's head. Penelo turned slightly to see that Balthiers gun was aimmed only a few inches from her, a dead wolf lay lightly against her back.

"That was close now wasn't it?" Balthier stated cooly, but inside he was trembling uncontrolably. He thought Penelo would be attacked and injured.

"YEah...close." Penelo mumbled shaking slightly. "I'm tired."

Balthier tossed her a blanket from his bag and sat down next to her. "Go to sleep I'll watch Basch for you."

Penelo nodded and leaned against him with the blanket covering her. "Thanks."

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HEY! It's a longer chapter! Very intreasting, I know not so much BALXPEN But It's part of it so deal with it! Review and tell me what'cha think. I just have to know! Oh and it's nice to know youa re actually rading these and not just skipping or skimming through them. . Oh and I may not be writing tommarow night even thouh I have ideas. Tommarow is my homecomming danc eand I'm going! So WHoo me! Alright see yall later and plz review! k thx bye - Yuf


	4. Chapter 4

There is no need for you to read this next message unless you are **Darknessdawns **or are just interested. So please do continue on.

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"This chapter was definitely interesting. From what I gathered Balthier likes  
Penelo, and from the ending it seems that Penelo is 'warming' up to him. Poor  
Basch too. Thank goodness for him that Penelo is a healer, thought only low  
level at this point. I do like how this story is turning out and it looks as  
though this chapter has opened up a way for some fluff between the two later  
on. I do hope you continue this. Also have fun at that dance you are going to.  
And make sure to be careful to, especially if you are going to wear heels.  
Those things are deadly. "

This is the Review I got from **Darknessdawns**. And I would personaly like to say, THANK YOU!! You are my Number One Reviewer and Viewer of This Month. -gives a lovely but badly made plaque- You are the one person who has viewed and reviewed every chapter. I would love to hug you. You have encouraged me enough to continue with this fanfiction faster than my others. -shakes hand- Once again, thank you.

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**You Should Read This Below. -down point-**

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Yes I am aware of spelling mistakse but I am to lazy to go back and fix them now. I try to moniter myself while I type. OH and Plz do read the summary of this it has changed a bit, so do pay attention before you may complain. Thank you and Move on to read the next installment of _To Freeze or Not to Freeze._

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Penelo awoke to find that no one had come back yet, or maybe they all just left again. She wasn't sure but she was leaning against the side of Basch who was sitting up right and poking at the small ashes of a fire. "Oh my god, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Basch said nodding lightly.

"Well, good. Where is everyone else?"

"They went to get the Strahl to pick us up, and Balthier's outside. He insisted on staying."

Penelo nodded lightly and stepped outside the cave entrance. It wasn't snowing for once and she could see for quiet a ways out. Turns out that the cave they were in wasn't actually that far from where the party had fought fafnir. Balthier and herself had actually been wandering in circles in the blizzard. Neither of them heard anything from the party or Fafnir because of the high winds.

Balthier looked up to see Penelo had finally awoken from her slumber. He heard the ship approach, the roar of the mist engine filling the air. Fran lowered a ladder from the Strahl for them to climb up.

Basch came out of the cave limping slightly. He was the first to grab the rope and go up to the ship. Penelo crawled up and Balthier grabbed thier bags and climbed up.

Once on the ship Vaan handed the controls over to Balthier. Penelo fought with Basch until he would take a nap.

"Basch you need to rest!"

"I'm fine, I've been in worse condition." Basch defended sitting on the edge of the small cot like bed.

"I don't care about your war time past experiances. (Spelling?) Right now you need to rest!" Penelo yelled jumping on Basch making him lay down.

"You win get off!" Basch hollered turning away towards the wall.

Vaan looked over thier lists of places to buy from. "I think we should stop in Balfonhiem (spelling?) to buy a few things."

"Yes. All of us are out of healing items and I think we could use an equipment upgrade." Ashe said pushing Penelo out of the resting cabin and shutting the door.

"How about it Balthier?" Fran asked quietly in her thick accent.

"To Balfonhiem it is." Balthier mumbled and set to take off. "Hold on to something."

As the ship landed in the Aerodome at Balfonhiem Vaan waited anxitiously (spelling?) at the door of the ship. If Balthier opened the door just a few seconds before they landed Vann would fall straight on his face. However that never happened because Baltheir always had the ship in park before doing anything else.

Once the doors did open Ashe and Basch left the party to go and buy what they needed, Vaan ran about talking to people and being overall obnoxious. While Balthier instructed Nono to inspect the ship for him, Penelo wandered amilessly about the hangar, looking at all different things.

Balthier eyed her from a distance while speaking with Nono. "Just do that okay Nono?"

Nono nodded and called a few other moogles to help him.

Balthier walked over to where Penelo was standing looking at a coil of rope. Today, he was gonna ask her out to lunch, even though it really wasn't his thing, he'd give it a go.

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Allo! Okay yeah you know the drill Read, Click, Review! k thx bye - Yuf


	5. Chapter 5

Numba Five!! Oh yeah! I'm on a roll! Yet again thank you reviewers. You have kept me going. . I write most of the new pieces in my french class cuz it's so easy for me to concenrate.

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Balthier strode up to Penelo, and just waited for her to turn around. but at the last moment he wussed out and turned to 'inspect' the ship.

"Oh, sorry, am I in your way?" Penelo asked as she bumped into Balthier.

"No, no, I was just making sure that we didn't hit any of the mountian peeks."

Penelo hummed to herself as she walked away to go to the market.

"Hey Penelo. Do you want to get something to eat? With me?" Balthier asked at the last moment.

"Uh, sure."

At the bar Balthier and Penelo sat at a table near one of the windows. The barmaid came over and asked then for thier orders. Penelo ordered a seafood platter and Balthier only got a glass of water.

"Aren't you hungry?" Penelo asked playing with her napkin.

"Not really."

"But didn't you invite me to lunch?" Penelo asked poking her fork in the air.

"Yes. I just wanted to...a-polo-g-ize?"

"For what?"

"Dragging you into the parimina..."

Penelo fell silent and began to eat her food that was set in front of her.

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Short...I know but more will progress. k thx bye - Yuf


	6. Chapter 6

Okay so yes. Well. I originally typed this in Chemistry about, hmmmmm five days ago. Welllll my internet closed at school and I didn't get to save it.....-super cry- srsly I nearly cryed in the middle of class I was so devistated. But lookie! It's back and in a totaly different way! seriously the chapter I had typed, and this chapter, are so different you wouldn't belive that I had even thought of the same ideas for each chapter. It's so ridicoulus. Well, yes, I would type in English, however my techer is rather mean and seems to be quiet synchronize happy. For those who do not know what synchronizing on computers is, I'll tell you. I need to vent anyways. It's way for teacher and or staff to lock your computers. This prevents you from using any programs. IT"S SO STUPID! -cry- They don't trust us anymore!! -sob- Oh wail Oh me!! Oh wah!! Oh woe!! -sucks it up- Anyways! On with this next installment of .......bad dada dada daddadaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!! _To freeze or Not to Freeze_

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Balthier and Penelo left with out a word to each other. The pair of them walked across the court and up the stairs.

"Where are you going Penelo?" Balthier asked quietly.

Without a word Penelo turned into a back alley. With that Balthier lost her entirely and had to start a wild goose chase for her.

Penelo decided she wanted to play a little game with Balthier. She darted into an enclosed alley and jumped the stacked crates in her way. _This will be fun! It probably won't take Balthier much time to find me. He knows practicaly everyone here, and I do kind of stick out. In this cas eI'll have to be extra careful! ehehehehehehehe! BAH CRATE! _

Penelo slammed face first into a stack of four crates. All of them loaded with some sort of powder. Four crates of Chronos Tear. Thats would be expensive to replace. _Run faster! I can't pay for that! _With her speed nearly doubled she looked back and saw some old bangaa shaking his fist at her.

Little did Penelo know that she was running head on into a swarm of people. Turning to face forward she spotted Fran among the crowds swarming the shop keepers. _She'd surely tell Balthier if she saw me. I got to dodge her at all cost. Alley, alley, alley ALLEY! _She darted off down an empty alley way and kept going until she saw the top of the Aerodome ahead. _That's it! I'll hide on the ship! It's the last place Balthier will look for me, much to obvious! _

Penelo ran into the hangar and looked aorund for Nono. When she spotted him by the engine, she ran up to him. "Nono!"

Nono turned to see who had called his name. "Yes Ms. Penelo?"

"Would you do me a favor and open the hatch for me?" Penelo asked holding out a handful of gil. About 200, what she had to spend in the market, as distributed by Basch.

Nono took the little bit of gil and opened the hatch. "Didn't see me do it." he said and winked at Penelo.

Penelo gave him a little thumbs up as the hatch closed and she walked about the cockpit. _Ah, so very quiet. Keh keh keh. Balthier is to blunt to even think of looking here. _Penelo laughed a loud to her self and looked at the controls. One day Vaan would know how to use all of these and he could take her where ever she pleased.

"Or maybe Balthier could do that." She mumbled to herself chuckeling a bit.

"Or maybe Balthier could do what?" A familiar voice came from behind her. A voice she had heard only about an hour ago at lunch.

Turning slowly around in the captians seat in which her bottom was placed she saw the last person she ever wanted to see ever in her entire life standing only a few feet from her.

Now her game had ended. Worst of all, HE had won.

"You broke in to my ship, touched my controls? And to thing, after I bought you lunch...." Balthier said shaking his head. "I'll never understand women."

Penelo looked around for any escape. There wasn't one. Only her, Balthier and the door way in which was being blocked by the "I'm-so-imporant-cuz-I-think-I'm-the-leading-man-of-everything-blah-blah-blah-" _ Gods just kill me now. Strike me dead, smite me oh might smiter._

**Oh noes!!! What's going to happen now!? Dun DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!! *nnanananaanan* Squeesh. Review! Reply! Send Loves! k thx bye - Yuf**

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	7. Chapter 7

BALPEN7

Hello everyone. I know, it's been far to long. But lucky for you special people, I've got a few ideas in my little head.

Now, for a little recap in case you were a reader and have totally forgotten. :)

So far Balthier and Penelo were stuck in the Parimina Rift in a cave while the others fought Fenrir. They were found by the party and Basch was hurt. They kept him alive and then left in the airship and went to Balfonhiem. Balthier felt bad for dragging Penelo into the unknown and so he wants to make t up to her by buying lunch. After their lunch he begins to apologize and Penelo runs off and a funny chase ensues. She pays Nono the moogle to left her on the airship and we leave off with Balthier trapping her in the cockpit and her wanting to be smited.

Here you are with the very late, but next instalment of _TO FREEZE OR NOT TO FREEZE?_

Balthier stood in the door way and there was no other exit.

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Penelo's eyes darted around the room, looking for an escape. The window was not an option, it was impenetrable and there wasn't another doorway.

"Now where are you going to run Penelo?" Balthier asked leaning against the door panel.

Penelo was quiet and looked at him in defeat. "I don't know."

"How about you thank me for the lunch, maybe accept my apology and then appolgize for touching my airship controls and potentially ruining anything I had set up in here?"

"How about I do this!" Penelo said and darted out the doorway thought he opening Balthier had created by leaning against the right door panel.

The blonde girl didn't get very far, not even to the boarding door. A mere three and a half steps and Balthier grabbed hold of the back of her jumper, pulled her back to him and sat her down on one of the passenger seats.

"Really? I can't believe you acctually tried that. You honestly think that I would leave an opening by chance? I left it on purpose to see if you would try and escape."

Penelo growled and crossed her arms in the chair. The boarding door began to open and she could hear Vaan talking.

"What's going on here?" Basch demanded after seeing Penelo pouting in a chair and Balthier standing and scowling beside her.

"She broke into the ship and tried to take off." Balthier stated and then casually moved up to the captains chair to take his place for take off.

Basch sat down and buckled himself in. Vaan followed suit and then Ashe and Fran. "Why did you break into the airship?" Basch asked.

"I didn't break in. Nono let me on."

"What?!" Balthier yelled turning around in his seat to face the blond orphan. "He let you on?!"

"Yeah, I just asked him to open the hatch."

Fran lightly touched Balthier's arm and he turned back to face the controls. The entire time we took to get ready to take off he mumbled about firing Nono and somehting about incompitent moogles.

"Where are we off to next?" Ashe said breaking the silence of the party.

"Ridorana Cataract." Fran said looking over a ratty piece of paper. It was a petitioners bill that they had been holding on to for quiet awhile.

"Yeah! Another hunt!" Vaan cheered.

The airship took off and the party was jolted back into thier seats. Well, everyone accept Fran and Balthier, some how they always managed to counter the force of take off and stay completly still as if the ship had never even launched.

Penelo watched out the window as the clouds rushed by and streams of mist. The trip wouldn't be long and she knew that. Basch kept glancing over at her every few minutes and it began to get irritating.

"What do you want?!" She yelled.

Basch was startled but quickly regained his composure. "There is something different about you today." He said calmly turning to face Ashe's seat in front of him.

"Huh?"

"You seem upset or disrupted."

"I'm fine. I don't feel any different, just please stop glancing at me, it's awkward." Penelo said turning back to look out the window.

She could see it, the Ridorana Cataract jutting out of the mist ridden falls. It's towers were huge and seemed to reach forever into the sky. They didn't know where they were going, all they knew was that the hunt was at the the Ridorana Cataract, and it was supposedly huge. The petitioner was Rikken from Balfonheim and if he thought it was worth a hunt and reward, it was definitely a tough opponent.

Balthier pulled the airship around to a leveled platform where the anchor was waiting for them. The party got out and checked over their supplies.

"I think we're prepared." Basch said checking his armour and making sure it was secure.

"Let's go." Ashe muttered taking off up the steps to the cataract.

Everyone followed after her. "Our starting party will be Balthier, Vaan and myself." Ashe said touching the blue crystal to ensure their health was at it's best.

The party headed off into the cataract.

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END CHAPTER

Review! What'd ya think? I left it off there because I can't remember the name of the hunt and where exactly it was, and I'd also like to put the actual battle into another chapter. Y'know just to keep this think flowing.

k thx bye ~ Yuf


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